Heart and Soul, If You're Brave Enough To Fall
by anime sci-fi chick book lover
Summary: Magnus has waited centuries for his timer to count down. Alec waited until his eighteenth birthday. Neither of them want or need a soulmate, at least that's what they tell themselves. Fate, with a little help from the pair's friends, won't take no for an answer.
1. Conversations With Friends

Everyone born into the shadowworld is born with numbers on their chest. Ever changing numbers that countdown until you meet your soul mate. For mortals the numbers are never very large, for immortals the numbers could mark lifetimes.

Magnus started to mark lifetimes by when people died. The first lifetime he marked was only ten years, when his mother died. He started thinking of lifetimes as centuries when he met Camille, he had given up waiting for his soul mate after fifty years of being alone. One long string of people who faces when the next lifetime started, but ended when Camille left him broken.

With over a century left to wait for his soul mate he started resenting the idea. Decided that a soulmate wasn't worth waiting multiple lifetimes for, that whatever expectations now rest on his or her shoulders they would never live up to it. Countless lives had past and Magnus had met every type of man, woman, Seelie, Warlock, Shadowhunter, even a Werewolf or two. He knew what he wanted, and one person could never be everything he needed.

He was tired. Too many people but never the one he wanted. He entered the twentieth century and closed his heart. There was enough pain in this century without becoming attached to the mortal world. He grew rich on jewels and favours from the mundane and down worlds, until in the early fifties a mother came and asked for him to save her son.

Raphael was the first person to enter Magnus's heart in almost a century, Magnus saw his numbers with a strange sense of curiosity and resentment. They were meant to meet their soulmates within days of each other. Raphael looked at them in wonder, hearing Magnus's explanation seemed surreal, who was meant to love the undead.

Their bond was strengthened whenever someone they knew met their soulmate, and when someone lost their soulmate. Raphael's temperament over the years changed until very few people would chose to be around him, Magnus became more flamboyant as the twentieth century came to a close. He hid his sadness and resentment behind magic, makeup and the era of freedom.

Raphael and Magnus brought in the new Millennium with his other Warlock friends, Catarina Loss, Ragnor Fell and Tessa Gray. They sat in his apartment in Brooklyn and watched the fireworks, the conversations drawing back to soulmates, as it always does when thinking of a world's new beginning.

"It's not always painful," Catarina says, "Many people would say you were given a gift by your turning. Mortals will never know if they've met their soulmate." She swirled her glass of red wine and looked at her blank wrist.

"But what's worse, knowing that you will never have one, or spending centuries waiting for them?" Ragnor asked, his neat scotch reflected the lights in the sky.

"I'll always joke that the soulmate I could have had was better suited to Tessa."

The room fell silent, waiting to see what reaction Tessa would show this time. She smiled and took a sip from her glass and reached to the table beside her to set it down.

Magnus broke the silence, "Soulmate or no soulmate, as immortals we cannot rest all our hopes on fate. How many lifetimes will we live, where we do not have fate interfering with freewill?"

"Just because you have had the longest to wait, doesn't mean that you won't eat your words, when you meet him or her?" Tessa had opted to be in a joking mood, or perhaps Magnus had simply made her martini's too strong tonight.

Magnus stood from his place on the couch and ruffled Raphael's hair as he moved to the fridge. He didn't need anything but the conversation was starting to follow the same pattern it had for the last fifty years. Ever since Raphael had joined their group he kept asking questions, wanting to understand why, when he was turned, did he get a soulmate.

"I never had one, it seemed like the best thing that could happen to me," Ragnor said loudly, so Magnus could hear him. "Honestly, it seems like having one is more complicated than necessary, if Tessa and you two never had those numbers these conversations would never happen, too much heartache."

Magnus returned to the lounge and fell back into his spot.

"I've mourned them, Will almost as long as I knew. Jem, longer still. It's hurts, sometimes every day and sometime I can go days where their memories only make me smile. Two soul marks has only meant that I could get hurt twice." Tessa took a sip and a breath. "But, the happiness, love, my children. A whole life that I do not regret. That I could not regret."

"I've haven't yet waited fifty years to meet this person, I cannot imagine waiting several lifetimes. I'm nervous enough as it is, waiting a few more years." Raphael shook his head. "I'm starting to think that fate makes us wait just to piss us off."

"I guess fate thought I'd been through enough that I got two in the span of days." Tessa let out a little giggle and Magnus thinks he definitely made her drink too strong.

"I never understood why you had two at once, if fate knew that Jem would leave, why not just have Will as your only soulmate?" Catarina asked.

"Maybe fate doesn't exist, or maybe it's just an asshole. Raphael's right, if fate does exist, it's spent my entire life pissing me off." Magnus folds further into the couch, bring one leg to rest under his other. "It's been a bloody long life waiting for this person, and I'm tired. Ragnor, Cat, I'm envious. You don't live your lives waiting for some person to be the love of your life, there's nothing telling you who, what, how you're meant to live. Fate is as ass and soul mates are bullshit. Whoever this is," Magnus points to the open part of his shirt, just hiding his soul mark, "if they're as old as I am I will curse them! If they're mortal, I'm not getting my heart broken when they die, as they will."

Magnus waves his hand and everyone's drinks disappear. He closes the balcony doors and walks to his room, leaving his guests to let themselves out.

Three portals open in the living room, Ragnor grabs the pile of jackets from the back of the couch and hand Raphael his and Tessa's. Helping Catarina into her jacket Ragnor says, "When he meet this soul mate, I want to see how fast he eats his words. Raphael, keep an eye on the old guy, would you? You'll know when the time is getting close."

Without waiting for a reply Ragnor enters his portal to Idris.

Tessa smiles after him, turning to Raphael she pats his cheek. "I loved two mortals, the pain hurts, there's no denying that. But they gave me more happiness in a few years than I thought I could have." She gave a look around the room. "I've known Magnus for most of my life, he deserves someone who will love him heart and soul. I just hope he won't push them away." She waved and entered her portal to London.

"Would you like a lift back to Hotel Dumort?" Catarina asked, gesturing to her portal.

"No, thank you, the sun won't rise for a few hours." Raphael kissed her cheek and left through the loft's front door.

Catarina walked to Magnus's room and opened the door. He slept with his face plastered to the pillow and his legs half off the bed. She conjured a glass of water and some pain relievers on his bed side and left. For as long as she could remember, she treated Magnus like the child she would never have.

"Sleep well, dear friend. I feel when your soulmate arrives, we will all need a good night's rest." She returned to the waiting portal and left.


	2. Conversations With Sisters

Alec found Izzy in the main training area, even at ten she handled a whip better than any Shadowhunter that Alec knew. His Parabatai ceremony with Jace was in a couple hours and he didn't know what to do. The numbers over his heart said he would find his soul mate a little after his eighteenth birthday, but his heart was telling him he already had.

Izzy stopped short when she saw Alec come through the doors. "Why aren't you getting ready?"

Alec hesitated, then fidgeted as he walked closer. "This is a mistake. I'm not going through with it." Alec paced, one hand playing over his heart, the other gripping at air.

"That's histerical. Whatever happened between you two, why don't you kiss and make up?" Izzy said. She swung her whip to continue practicing.

"This just doesn't feel right."

Izzy shook her head. "You're not making any sense." She lowered her whip and turn to face Alec properly. "All you've been talking about since Jace arrived was becoming Parabatai. Now you're actually doing it."

Alec bent his head. "I thought if anyone would understand it would be you," he said, he gestured to her and continued, "you don't have one."

Izzy sighed, "I never wanted one. But you and Jace click. Everyone knows that you guys are better fighters together than you are apart."

It was true, and Alec knew that. He and Jace did click, they seemed to know exactly where the others was and how to meld their unique styles to be a better pair. Maybe that's why he loved Jace so much. He hoped Izzy would have understood why this was so hard, but obviously she didn't. He finally replied, "super helpful, Izzy. Thanks."

Alec went to leave but Izzy grabbed his arm. "All these years of training and … and you're just gonna call it off? Are you nuts? I mean, the only time that actually happens is when somebody falls in love with–" She broke off and really looked at Alec. "Oh!"

"Don't say another word." Alec couldn't have described how he felt just then. His sister had figured out the one thing that could destroy his life.

"I get it," Izzy finally whispered.

"No, you don't." Alec believed that. Izzy would never understand what he felt. Something was wrong with him and it wouldn't just destroy his life, but it would destroy his family's name, his standing in the community… they could de-runed him for this.

Izzy took a deep breath and tried to calm Alec down. "Okay, maybe I don't. I know you're obnoxious and stubborn—"

Alec cut Izzy off, "I hope you're going somewhere with this—"

Izzy interrupted Alec before he could get the wrong impression, "but you're also loyal and honest and a big old softy when you stop worring about what people are thinking of you." Izzy wanted to hug Alec, but knew he would only push her away.

Alec hadn't started hiding his mark until he was ten himself, when Jace had arrived. Izzy's numbers were constantly on show, she believed in love. She couldn't wait to find her soulmate. Alec had only seen Jace's numbers once. Alec would be the last one to find his soulmate, but within days, or hours, of each other. Izzy was the most excited, she knew that when Jace's countdown was over, hers only had hours left.

She would worry about Alec now, about how his life would turn out, but she had faith that whoever Alec's soulmate would be that they would be exactly what Alec needs to really be himself. "One day, somebody is gonna love you heart and soul."

Alec scoffed, even if that were true, he would never be able to have an open relationship, not with the clave. Or maybe fate was a dick, and he would be fated to a girl instead of a guy. He stopped believing fate knew best long ago, now he just fate to stay out of his life.

Izzy had been silent, waited for Alec to digest what she'd said. When he didn't respond she kept talking, "If you walk away from Jace you may never find another Parabatai, is that really a risk you're willing to take?"

Alec thought about it, he could tell fate to take a hike and forget about the numbers on his chest and stop the Parabatai ceremony on the chance that Jace would do the same thing, that he felt the same way. Or he could take Izzy at her word, she always knew things before he did.

The likelihood that Jace felt the same way, or that the Clave would be okay with a gay Shadowhunter were both improbable at best. And Jace was his best candidate if he wanted a Parabatai. Izzy was right, he wouldn't find someone else who complements him better and for the sake of his family it was a good allegiance to have, like father like son. The Lightwoods and the Waylands would be Parabatai again.

Alec let out a breath and reached out for Izzy. "You're too smart for your own good, sis," he said and wrapped her up in a hug. "C'mon, help me get ready for the ceremony, so I don't change my mind.

Izzy wrapped her arms tighter around Alec and prayed to the Angel that Alec would find happiness. Her big brother deserved nothing less than someone who protect the man who never thought of his safety when others were in danger. And someone who would love Alec more than he could love himself, for what lied ahead for him would test everything Alec ever knew.

And Izzy, as the best sister in the New York Institute, would be there to defend and support Alec, where ever his heart lead him. Because the best big brother deserves nothing less than an amazing little sister.


	3. Conversations With The Dead

Magnus felt that his numbers were mocking him now. He'd forgotten when his birthday was and if it wasn't for the fact that from one day to the next his number changed, he would never know. He still had years to wait, so really, why should he bother looking at his numbers anymore.

He remembered Will and Jem and Tessa, all those years ago. Sitting in the library of the London Institute, Will and Jem arguing over what the next step in the plan should be and Tessa watching with love and laughter in her eyes.

Magnus was exhausted from the magic needed to fix Will's broken arm, and to be honest he didn't want to see if Tessa finally had control over her magic. It was a weird dynamic between the three of them that Magnus loved to watch. When Magnus had met Tessa, he could see that there was a connection between the three of them, but it wasn't until later that Magnus understood why.

Tessa was one of those rare cases of multiple soulmates, but fate had a wicked sense of humour to make them Parabatai. The numbers over her heart were only hours apart. She had met Jem shortly after coming to the London Institute and met Will a few hours later, once Jem and retrieved him from where he was brooding in his room.

Magnus had asked Tessa how she felt about it, and all she had said was that at least they were friends. It took Magnus quite a whole to understand the dynamic, even longer not to look at them all like they completely insane. Magnus had dabbled in multiple partners before, but never in the relationship category, it was too weird.

But then Magnus had found out about Jem and his reliance on _Yin Fen_. 'Maybe fate thought he should have someone love him before he dies', Magnus had thought before he truly looked at them. Even if Jem had died five minutes after meeting Tessa he would have known love, would have been loved. Will made sure of that.

Magnus was broken out of his thoughts when Tessa stood up and yelled at the boys arguing over a map of London.

"You're acting like children, and when you decide to act like adults and Shadowhunters, come find me." She walked out the door with a flick of her wrist that sent the ottoman in the corner flying through the window.

Magnus would have been impressed if that was actually what she wanted to happen. Jem and Will exchanged looks, Magnus imagined that their Parabatai bond helped when they didn't say anything. The stood silently for a few moments before Will huffed and Jem shrugged. They both turned their heads to look at the door, then at Magnus. With a sigh Jem stood up properly and walked towards the door.

"If I come back green, you can't laugh and I get to say 'I told you so"," Jem said and left.

Magnus shook his head, he didn't believe that Jem would come back green, mostly because Tessa still hadn't figured out how to change skin pigments, but she did know how to curse someone itchy for weeks. Will must have noticed Magnus move because he shot Magnus a look that conveyed years of frustration.

"You really shouldn't judge what you don't understand," Will finally said. He moved to the table next to the door that held a good supply of alcohol. "What's your poison?" he asked grabbing a bottle of amber liquid and pouring a glass almost to the top. He replaced the lid and looked at Magnus. "So?"

"What you're having will be fine," Magnus replied, looking forward to the first drop of alcohol he'd had since that disastrous party two weeks ago.

Will returned with the drinks and sat opposite Magnus on the couch. They sat in silence, nursing their drinks. Neither knowing what to say, neither wanting to break the silence first.

Magnus broke the silence. "It's not that I don't understand, I probably never will. It's that I gave up on my soulmate over a hundred years ago." He took a drink from his glass, watched as the liquid moved around the glass. "I envy you all, somehow the three of you make this work. You and Jem, you never argue over Tessa, and Tessa never seems to have to choose either of you."

Will looked surprised, Magnus couldn't blame him. Even he was surprised he said it. Will looked at his glass, the door, the intricate floor rug, everywhere but Magnus. When he did meet Magnus's gaze he looked sad.

"Jem and I spoke about it, just after I met Tessa. He came to my room, raving about this woman he met, his soulmate. I just laughed at him. And thought, 'I guess I should walk around and bump into a nice girl'. I just didn't realise that when I met her, she would already be taken." Will looked sad. He drank the rest of his glass in one gulp and sat up. "My mother told me stories of soulmate my whole life. I looked forward to meeting mine. I believed for ten minutes that she was the one… the one for me. Then Jem arrived and introduced us properly."

Magnus stood and took his and Will's glasses to be refilled. Another drink or two seemed like a good idea, with where the conversation was heading. "How did you figure it out? That Tessa was meant for both of you?" Magnus returned with the glasses, slightly fuller than last time with a clear liquid.

"My heart broke a little bit. Tessa must have noticed the look I knew I had on my face. She looked at Jem and me and she must have known how close we were." Will took a large gulp of his drink and sputtered a little. "Vodka is shite in London, for future reference." He took another gulp and put his glass on the table beside him. "Jem was more confused than I was. We'd never heard of two soulmate marks. Neither of us could believe it, but Tessa wasn't about to show us her mark."

"So, how did you confirm what she was saying?" Magnus interrupted. If he was being honest, his curiosity was going to be the death of him when it came to Shadowhunters. When these ones died, he decided, he wouldn't bother with any others unless he was getting paid.

"Sophie and Jessamine saw her mark. And then they both yelled at us for not believing her. As they said, 'why would fate only have one new woman show up in our lives if there was meant to be two?' Tessa didn't speak to either of us for two days. So, we spoke to each other. Fate decided that she was meant for both of us." He drained his glass and moved to get another one.

"Should you really have more?" Magnus found himself asking. He'd love to see the famous William Herondale drunk, but this was getting good and Magnus didn't want him passing out before he finished his story. Will would probably never be in the mood again to talk about this again.

"I can hold more than you think I can," he said when he returned to his seat, bringing the bottle with him.

"Well," Magnus said when Will didn't continue speaking, "how did that conversation go?"

"As bad as it sounds, Jem gets her first. With his reliance on _Yin Fen_ his life will be short. When Tessa found out she locked herself in her room until Sophie convinced her not to waste what time she has with him. I don't know if Tessa found out about our discussion. But I'll be here for her when Jem passes. We both want Jem to have the best life he can before…" Will drifted off, not just his words but his eyes started to close.

Magnus sat in the library for a while longer, watching him sleep and listening to his breathing before leaving. He told Tessa and Jem he would be back in the morning when the adults had figured out what to do next.

Breaking from his memory because his ginger Einstein was meowing for his attention, he looked out at the view of New York from his window. He missed Will and Jem, they were good men. But, sometimes, having Tessa in his life was too much. He hoped when he met his soulmate that they were immortal. Watching Tessa go through Jem's Silent Brother ceremony and losing Will to old age made Magnus fear that he would get a mortal.

He didn't think he could survive losing someone who was meant to be his other half to old age. Not that he really wanted a soulmate at all.


	4. Conversations With Mothers

Maryse Lightwood. Mother of four. Head of the New York Institute. Wife of Robert Lightwood. One of the only Shadowhunter's whose soulmate found companionship elsewhere. She's not as ignorant as Robert would believe, nor is she as forgiving. But since Max was born, Maryse has done everything she can to hide all of Robert's flaws from her children.

Of course, this backfired. Izzy has spent most of her childhood idolising Robert for being the 'cool' parent, while Maryse was strict. Maryse had trusted soulmarks for years, had believed that when she found the one she would never be hurt. She was afraid her children would be hurt the same way. That they would meet their soulmates and get their heart broken.

The Clave didn't believe in divorce. The Clave believed in soulmates. And Maryse has spent her life doing what was best for The Clave. So, that's how she raised her children. To follow rules and live by routines and to be the best. Better than everyone else, because… because then they couldn't be ridiculed. They couldn't have the whispers and rumours. They would be beyond reproach in their character. Maryse believed she had done the right thing. That she had raise three strong, independent, honourable and resilient young adults.

Izzy will always be headstrong, opinionated and defiant against authority; Maryse was the same at her age. Izzy, as a child, had loved nothing more than to make people smile. She would laugh and pull faces and generally be an energetic presence in any room. Visiting envoys would be of two minds, some would pull faces and imply that she should be more minded in her ways, others would laugh with childlike freedom at her antics knowing she was happy. Maryse would never worry that Izzy would be heartbroken, her heart was as light as air, but not easily touched.

Jace had been so sullen and withdrawn when he came into their family. The smallest things would scare him, so he created this shell that hid his emotions from the world. Because of Alec and Izzy, he became more comfortable at the New York Institute. The three of them were soon friends and Maryse felt she had nothing to worry about. Alec was the older brother that Jace needed and Maryse could never be the mother he lost, she would just have to settle for the woman who would love him like his mother never got the chance to. His shell would guard his heart from anyone who tried to hurt him, his brave front would drive most away before they had the chance to anyway.

But, Alec she worried about. When Alec was a child he was a lot like Max. Inquisitive, resourceful, full of curiosity. Alec is the ultimate big brother, caring, protective and bendable to the will of his younger siblings. Her children will never know that they have never lied to Maryse, that she knew every time Alec took the fall for something someone else had done. Maryse didn't believe Alec to be a pushover, but she believed his heart lied on his sleeve. The walls she and the world see are just for show, one he'd crafted from seeing his family hiding who they are. Alec is the one she worried about, because in the end, Alec was her little boy and she never wanted the world to hurt him.

So, when she found him, a few weeks after his sixteenth birthday, hiding from the celebrations of the New Year, she worried what had happened to make her usually shy young man hide. Alec had never hidden at parties. When he knew he was in trouble, yes. When Izzy had an insane idea, yes. Why Jace wanted extra sparring session, the list was endless. But never a party.

"Alec," she asked. She moved further into her office, where he had taken refuge. "Alec, the party has barely begun, why are you hiding in here?" Maryse will never be known as someone warm and fuzzy, but she will always be known to care when something truly bothers her children.

"The party's too loud," Alec lied. His shoulders were slumped, appearing to read the large tome in his lap.

This was the first year that the New York Institute had held the New Year's Eve party since the uprising and it was filled with over two hundred Shadowhunters from all over the globe. Alec had never had so many people invade his home before, but that wasn't why he felt the need to escape, where no one should have found him.

This was the first time that Alec had come across so many male Shadowhunter his age. His crush on Jace also bothered him. He'd spent the first hour of the party watching as Jace flirted with every female he spoke to, reinforcing the fact that he was straight, and that Alec would never have his love. Jace and Izzy were social butterflies that spent all their time meeting new people, while Alec wanted to hide from them.

"There are quieter areas, you could join your father and I in the library. The Branwell's have brought their lovely daughter, Lydia, I'm sure you'll like her." Maryse's voice was calm, but firm.

Alec grimaced. He never understood why his parents thought parading women around would work. Maryse and Robert knew when their children were meant to meet their soulmates, so why introduce them to people they hoped would be their life partners two years earlier?

Maryse has always been an observant woman, she noticed Alec's grimace. "Alec, I know that your brother and sister don't wait for their soulmates to make them happy. They believe in them, but they won't let that stop them from enjoying life. I don't think you should either." Maryse wasn't blind or stupid, she knew where her son's eyes lingered, she knew that he wouldn't have the life that would make him truly happy.

"I know, Mum. Don't worry, I just wanted to enjoy the quiet for a while." Alec closed the tome, placed it on the table and stood. "I'd love to meet the Branwell's daughter." He straightened his tie and left the room.

'He will never be happy,' Maryse thought. The Clave has rules, and even if the law changed too many Shadowhunters would treat Alec cruely.

Maryse hoped that when Alec's soulmate arrived they would give him the happiness he deserves. She just feared that Alec would not be brave enough to take when the Angel gives him and that Alec would suffer her fate, of a love lost over the years until it creates its own mask.


	5. Conversations With Exs

It was storming, that was something Magnus remembers vividly, the last night they spent together before Camille left. With less than a backwards glance, she was gone. Leaving with shards of Magnus's heart imbedded in the souls of her feet as she walked over them. Magnus had thought that she would be the one he could spend eternity with, the one that would be there when he met his soulmate and walked away. But she was the one who walked away.

Magnus could remember every minute of their time together. From their first night, sweat travelling down their bodies, breaths mingled, hearts beating erratically. Magnus couldn't remember feeling that level of intimacy with anyone, he didn't think he ever would again. Magnus had thought being with an immortal would stop it from hurting, would give him the option of never having to love a mortal and care enough about them to stay with them as they slowly died.

But that wouldn't happen, Camille had left with a laugh in his face. "Immortals shouldn't believe in true love. We have immortality to live, why be tied down to one person when we can spend every lifetime with someone new?" She had picked up her case and before he could respond she walked out of the London townhouse.

Magnus sat on the couch, a storm raging outside, one that reminded him of that night, of her in general. But he pushed his mind to a different memory, one that didn't bring heartbreak. The memory of his first night with her.

Magnus lay on his back in the large bed, naked but for the soft sheet covering his lower half. Camille sprawled across his chest, her fingers traced patterns over his heart and stomach. They were silent, but their deep breaths and the rustle of the sheets when their legs moved. Magnus ran his fingers through Camille's hair and stared at the ceiling.

His first night with Camille, he could remember many more nights like this. Sprawled upon luxurious sheets, relaxing between round after round of amazing sex. Magnus had had partners before, but Camille knew things that made him feel like a novice in the bedroom.

"Why do you glamour them?" Camille asked, breaking the silence in the room.

Magnus knew what she meant, his numbers. Camille tried to hide hers previously, but after the makeup washed away from sweat, she couldn't pretend that she may be his soulmate. Magnus may have been upset by this earlier in his life, but with almost two hundred years left to live, he stopped caring.

"Because, my dear, those numbers mean nothing to me. And abstract thought by fate won't determine my happiness. I am content to live this life without the threat of a soulmate hanging over my head."

Camille lifted her head to face Magnus. His head was turned to face the window, looking over London. Camille's finger froze in their movements and she reached up to tilt his face downwards. She leaned up and kissed him. Magnus knew in his heart that Camille would break it one day, but Magnus was happy to forget for a little while.

"You've seen mine, isn't it fair that I see yours?" She moved her fingers to trace where his numbers would lie over his heart.

Magnus removed her hand and brought it to her lips to kiss it. "You've seen every inch of me, Camille, a few numbers shouldn't mean more than what we've already shared." He shifted his legs under the blankets to rest his feet on the ground. "I must be off." Magnus moved about the room in the moonlight to gather his clothing.

Chairman Meow scratched at Magnus's arm, bringing him out of that memory. He pat stroked Chairman's back a few times, until he settled in his lap, purring while falling asleep. He'd need to move soon, Chairman would want his dinner, and come to think of it Magnus was getting hungry as well. 'Perk of being a Warlock,' Magnus thought and waved his hand.

Chairman lifted his head when he smelt his dinner, he stood, stretched and flipped his tail. Magnus waited for chairman to jump off his lap before conjuring up a couple bakpao, who says you can't have chocolate pastries for dinner. They were something his mother made, but now he just steals them from carts littering the road of Jakartan traffic.

Magnus watched as lightning flashed across the New York skyline and hit the spire of the Empire State Building. He could remember when construction began, he was living here at the time, dealing with the heartbreak of Camille and the joyousness of Tessa and Will.

This is what happens when Magnus is left alone for too long, when it's been years since he's seen any of his friends. Even Raphael had been silent as of late, Camille keeping him busy all night with Clan business.

Business for Magnus had been quiet. The Clave had slowly created a kind of peace with the Downworlders and have not needed his services. 'Maybe I should start taking Mundane clients again,' he thought, finishing his dinner. 'At least then I would have something to do besides wait for the Shadowworld to do something interesting. Maybe not another war, though.'

He looked to his drinks cart. It was a gift from Tessa in the early 30s. She'd forced Magnus to "donate" the one Camille had given him, almost half a century earlier. He wasn't attached to it, by any sense of the word, but it matched his "flapper" flare perfectly. Though Tessa's had a more elegant style and could hold more varieties of alcohol, it just didn't match his apartment. Which lead him to look around his apartment. He'd redecorated around the time Tessa had moved in, then again when she had left 5 years later, now he decided was a good time to try out a new style – one that matched the new millennium.

Since the Downworld had been so boring lately, Magnus decided that maybe he should start throwing his blowouts again. Before the war with Valentine, and the Mortal Cup going missing, Magnus had thrown a party every other night, and more often than not woke up with some stranger the next morning. The more he thought of it, the more it seemed like a good idea. He made sure Chairman Meow was safely in his arms and, with a flick of his wrist, his apartment shifted from his simple two bedroom loft into a large studio with four bedrooms with ensuites and an industrial kitchen. He nodded. Chairman Meow jumped from his arms and strutted off to explore the new apartment.

With the layout Magnus was ready for a party. Snapping his fingers he produced a quantity of invites. He queried if he should invite the vampires or the werewolves for a moment before selfishly remembering the last time he saw Raphael, he sent the invites off to the New York Clan and the Seelie Court. Maybe next time he'd invite the werewolves.


	6. Avoiding Conversations

Alec knew today was gonna suck, even before the alarm on his clock started to chime at him. For the past week, all he had heard from his siblings was curious wonderings about their soulmates. And Alec was sick of it. Izzy and Jace had it easy, the chance of either of them having an unsuitable soulmate was laughable. Izzy and Jace, who never had the inclination to be more than mildly scandalous, would never be a real disgrace to the Clave. Not like Alec would be.

The numbers on his chest counted down. He, the eldest, really did have to wait the longest for his soulmate. Jace would meet his tonight. Whomever she was, she most likely would be the calming influence that Jace desperately needed. He would be the first. Izzy would meet hers tomorrow. And then Alec the day after.

Alec knew today was going to suck, because this entire week would. Jace meeting his soulmate would just lead to a series of events that Alec really doesn't really want to deal with. Alec didn't want to deal with anything today for a number of reasons, some he won't admit, some he'll make up. But, really, Alec has waited over 18 years for this to happen. 18 years for the world to change, his world to change. After this week not only would there be three more people in his life, but he would finally have to admit that he was not what his family expects.

But, while his world changing was a very good reason for not wanting to leave his room, let alone his bed, it was not the main reason he wanted to put life on pause.

Alec's main reason for not wanting to leave his room was Jace. Not that he would meet his soulmate, not that he would forever be out of Alec's grasp, not that he would have to "share" his attention. At least, not just. Everything about Jace made Alec ache today. The only thing stronger than the Parabatai bond is the soulmate bond.

Alec would lose Jace in 9 hours, 32 minutes and change. 18 hours, 8 minutes later Izzy would be changed as well. And a little over 32 hours after that he would meet his. That means that in less than 3 days Alec wouldn't be able to hide that he was gay. That every time Jace had tried to push a woman at him, not only had he wanted to run away, but his heart broke because it would never be Jace.

His numbers had started showing seconds only two weeks ago. Izzy and Jace would always set the trends in their family. They were the first to go out on dates, have sex, get in trouble. Alec would always be the responsible one.

But Alec knew he had to leave his room. If he didn't Jace and Izzy would go on this hunt by themselves. Alec was the one who balanced their impulsiveness and competitiveness, he hung back and kept them safe while they dove in head first. Alec still took his time staring at the ceiling, Izzy or Jace would find him eventually, surprised that he isn't the one hurrying them along.

Jace had probably been up for hours, grooming. Unsurprisingly both of them had been taking extra care the past week so that they were physically flawless. Both of them also trying to get Alec to wear something other than black, grey and blood-stained. Alec didn't want to change, didn't want to dress up, didn't want to give any more effort to something that would destroy everything. His standing in the community, his relationship with his parents, his siblings. 3 days and Alec's life would never be the same.

Why should he embrace that? Whoever his soulmate was… Alec would rather spend his life helplessly in love with Jace and never be able to love in the sunlight, than have a soulmate who would constantly be disappointed in who Alec was. He would never be beautiful, smart, strong or outgoing like his siblings. There were reasons beyond the obvious why Alec never dated. No one ever looked at him longer than was necessary.

Jace and Izzy were always the ones gaining attention because of their looks and personalities. Even Max had one or two of the young girls in Idris crushing on him. Alec was the one sent in when they needed professional, reserved, detached, when they wanted a leader. When they want persuasive, charismatic, influential, when they want a seduction, they send Izzy or Jace.

Even if Alec could ever be open about who he was to those he cares about, what sort of person would think Alec was worth more than a sideways glance.

A knock on the door grabs his attention. He sighs to himself and wonders if the next 3 days were really worth moving. It's not like he hadn't thought of a thousand scenarios where all three of them are stuck in the Institute, he even entertained the idea of letting Izzy cook. But that seemed too cruel, everything he thought of seemed too cruel.

Stopping them from meeting their soulmates… Alec loves them too much to want them to be alone forever. But the best theory they all had was that Jace's soulmate would introduce Izzy, and then Alec, to their soulmates.

The knock sounds again. 8 hours. Jace must be getting nervous by now. He and Izzy had been spending so much time lately discussing what they would look like, act like. Whether or not they would be Shadowhunters, or Mundanes or Downworlders.

'Alec,' Jace's voice carries through the door. 'C'mon, Izzy and I have been ready for an hour. What are you doing in there?' Jace is whining. The last time he really whined was when Maryse told him that the numbers on his chest were how long he'd have to wait.

Alec contemplated pretending to be asleep, but realised that Jace would just keep knocking. He lifted himself up and crossed his legs. It was after 1 in the afternoon, Alec could only hide for so much longer.

'Jace, let me try,' Izzy said behind the door. The handle turned and she entered his room. Jace's head could be seen briefly before the door was shut in his face. 'What's up, Sleepy?' Izzy knelt on the bed and pouted.

Alec pulled the doona over his head and grumbled. He didn't want to deal with Izzy, didn't want to think about how if he didn't get his ass out of bed, then it wasn't just soulmates that were at risk, but the fact that Izzy and Jace would go on patrol without him. He stuck his head out and looked back at Izzy. She was still pouting.

Alec finally gave up after ten minutes of Izzy's pout. His baby sister has had years to perfect her tactics on how to manipulate her brother. It shouldn't surprise him that it had him grabbing clothes and walking into his bathroom, but he still wasn't ready for the series of events that would follow.

He took his time in the shower. He waited five minutes for it to warm up, claiming he needed that time to take off his clothes. He stood under the water for twice as long before he believed his hair was wet enough to start shampooing. Then even longer to rub it in and let it set while he grabbed the soap and lathered it in his hands.

He knew if his mother knew how he deliberately procrastinated getting out of the shower she would scold him for being irresponsible. Yet, she didn't know that the longer he stood in the shower, the longer it would take for three of her children to meet their soulmates. She believed that they only held Shadowhunters from being the best they could, "emotions are a weakness," she always said.

After spending thirty minutes in the shower he turned off the water. He waited for his skin to get goosebumps before he grabbed his towel and started patting himself dry. He could hear Izzy and Jace muffled voices through the walls of his bathroom and room. He looked at the clock on is phone and found that there was less than seven hours left. He really, really wanted to ignore his numbers, erase them even.

He stared at them, slowly counting down. For what seemed like a moment he dreamed what he would be like, would his eyes be bright, his voice deep. He hoped that he was compassionate, understanding. He hoped he would be patient with Alec, that he could allow him to move slowly. He'd be Alec's first relationship, if fate had anything to say about it, his last.

"Alec."

Alec shook his head to clear those thoughts and started getting dressed. His gaze occasionally landed back at the reflection of his numbers. He rubbed a towel through his hair and looked down at his bare feet. They weren't extraordinary, ten toes and rough skin, it just kept his gaze and thoughts occupied. When his hair had stopped dripping, he grabbed his socks and boots and dropped onto his bed.

"Alec."

"Five minutes," he shouted back. He had one sock on his foot and the other in his hand. He stuck his feet into his boot and lazily tied them. Then he untied them. He tightened the laces and retied them.

He went to his bedside table for his stele, wallet, phone. He looked around the room twice before he decided that he had everything he needed. And looked around again hoping that he'd forgotten something.

"Alec."

He let out a sigh before he placed his hand on the door knob. This time next week his entire world would be different. Could anyone blame him for being afraid?

Author's note!

Sorry for the lateness of this! I've chosen to take on two law subject this semester and it kicked my ass, plus life in general gets really hectic.

I've already said this is AU and isn't going to follow the book or the show religiously but steal my favourite parts.

Thanks for continuing to read, it's still fun to write!


	7. Inane Conversations

Pandemonium was busy as always. Magnus could not remember a time when it wasn't. He was in his usual spot, the corner overlooking the crowd of dancers, surrounded by beautiful people, mundanes and downworlders alike. The noise, smells and sights were all blending together and Magnus decided that he wasn't in the mood tonight.

But, unfortunately, it had been a while since he had made an appearance so he needed to stay for at least for a drink, maybe a dance if someone took his fancy. He listened to nothing and no one, keeping his mind occupied unconsciously by thinking about the clock over his heart. A day or two left. A day or two before meeting his "soulmate". Magnus couldn't decide if her was nervous, excited, or if he simply wanted to know who the universe thought was good enough to make him wait four hundred years.

His eyes scanned the crowd, watching a couple mundane enter. It was normal for mundane to come into Pandemonium, they'd come in for the rave factor of the club, they never got any preference, not in what is mostly a downworld place. The nerd followed the red head, looking out of place. Jeans and t-shirts were not what was usually worn here.

A couple Seelies and Vampires draped over him and the couches that surrounded him in the VIP area. Like always the downworlders flocked to him as if his power, privilege and influence would somehow magically transfer to them. Any other decade he would bask in the decadence that was offered to him, he might even take them all home for a night of physical indulgence, but tonight his heart wasn't in it. His heart hadn't been in it since the century began.

Camille's reign of terror over the DuMort has meant that Raphael has been absent more than not, Ragnor has decided that Idris is the best place for his retirement, Catarina has been more and more busy at the hospital, and Magnus hadn't heard from Tessa in at least a decade. Immortality had a way of destroying friendships. Friendship, relationships in general, seem to fade as time blends together.

There's screaming coming from the back room now. The red head from before, flanked by her bespectacled friend, was screaming and pointing. At Shadowhunters. Huh. Magnus let the scene play out without his notice, now that the girl had stopped her screeching. He let another Seelie drape over his chest as the Vampire on his left whispered lewd things in his ear. Magnus filed those ideas away for a time where he could get it up naturally.

He brushed them both off and rose to his full height. Without a backwards glance he strode to the dance floor. He glanced around and found a mundane that looked like he could dance. He slid up beside him and grabbed his hips, the mundane turned around and a smile graced his face. He twirled in Magnus' arms and pushed his back flush with Magnus' stomach. They danced like that until Magnus started to get bored, he moved away and slipped into the crowd as the mundane looked around for him.

He moved to the bar and sipped the cocktail the bartender gave him. The alcohol tingled on his tongue and he wished that it did more to his sense than create a taste in his mouth. He listened, half-heartedly, to the conversations around him. Cheating boyfriends, uninterested women, redundancies and Magnus' could care less otherwise.

Pandemonium was starting to feel like a free-for-all. He remembered a time where it was the place to be, but now it just felt like another house party for a friend's crush; you only went because your friend wanted to get laid. Magnus remembered those days too. Years of friend, acquaintances really, that he would party with in the sixties and seventies. He would thoroughly deny any partying done in the eighties. And those people were never to be trusted.

Magnus found himself uninterested in all of this. The drink had lost its taste, the club had lost its vibrancy, and the people seemed like everyday people. He looked to the dance floor and found no one to interest him, he scanned over the bar and found nothing that caught his attention and the up to the VIP area, where the Seelies and Vampires were occupying opposite sides. Without Magnus there they were staying separate.

He placed his half-empty glass on the bar and left a generous tip. Without another glance around the club he moved to the entrance. Conjuring up his coat he stepped outside and took a deep breath. The smell of Brooklyn tickled his nose; sweat, urine, too much cologne and cigarettes. Sometimes Magnus wondered why he'd chosen New York after all these years. Maybe it was worth relocating, somewhere tropical with cute waiters and water clearer than air.

But this was home for now. And he wanted to see how New York would change and grow. Plus, there were only so many fashion capitals before he would have to settled for somewhere as uninspired as Moscow or Egypt.

He wandered home, never stopping to look at the windows, or to properly listen to more people complaining about their lives. He passed flashing lights offering delight, both physical and edible. He ignored the traffic honking and swerving through the streets.

He opened the door to his building and heard the muffled yelling from the apartment in the back, another spat between the junkie and dealer getting out of hand. He ascended the steps one at a time, not bothering to hurry when he knew only the Chairman would be there to greet him. He waved his hand and the door opened as he took the final step onto the landing.

The Chairman bolted through the door and if Magnus had been in a less apathetic mood he might have given chase, or at least have given the Chairman a few minutes to believe he had escaped. As it was Magnus just wanted to get into his sating pyjamas and curl up with a bowl of Roman ice-cream from Bar Fontana Di Trevi and watch some bad reality television. The Chairman ended up on the couch after Magnus had shut the door.

He meowed ungraciously and jumped off, flicking his tail as he sauntered into Magnus' guest room. Magnus conjured up a tub of mixed gelato and placed it on the bench, waiting for him to wash his face and change.

He walked through his bedroom into his en-suite. He debated whether to just wash his face or take a quick shower to get the smell off his skin. The shower seemed like a nice end to an otherwise draining day. He scrubbed at his skin and hair, not bothering to take as much care as he normally would, and was out within minutes. He rubbed his hair and body down quickly with a towel and changed into his midnight blue pyjama bottoms, not bothering with the matching shirt.

The gelato had started to melt as he grabbed a spoon and collapsed onto the couch. He flicked through the channels for a few minutes before deciding to watch the read-off on _RuPaul's Drag Race_. The Chairman came out a few minutes later and rubbed his face against Magnus' leg. He raised his arm to make some food appear in the Chairman's bowl, but he jumped on the couch and curled into Magnus' side.

Magnus fell asleep there. Gelato still resting in his lap as he drifted off to the Chairman's purrs and Drag Queens' insults.


	8. Conversations about The Future

Alec stalked through the Institute's hallways. Last night had been a shit storm, with a stupid mundane screaming while they tried to stop a demon. And Jace had been more than willing to indulge it. Izzy had cornered the demon, Jace had kept to the back and somehow Alec was left dealing with it. At least Jace tore his eyes away from the redhead long enough to kill the demon. One of these days Jace's flings will get them all in trouble.

Now, he's nowhere to be found. Alec had gotten back late last night and for all he knows Jace and Izzy decided to head back out to whatever party or distraction they could find. Alec could only assume that Jace had met his soulmate and had gone back out to find her. It was past time for them to meet and surely he knew who she was. Alec didn't know what he was hoping for more, that she's a stupid mundane, or a Downworlder. Either way Maryse and Robert would not be happy about it. It's not very likely that there were any Shadowhunters there last night and none of them had noticed.

They should both be up by now, but Alec couldn't find them. He continued searching through the training rooms, the bedrooms, the kitchen – though help him if he found Izzy there – and finally to the entrance where he found Izzy, coming home from a wild night it seemed. If the glitter and bruises on her neck were any indication.

"Where the hell have you been?" Alec asked. He crossed his arms and glared while Izzy took off her heels. She was still in her skin tight white dress from last night, but she'd ditched the wig somewhere along the way.

She leant on Alec to pull off her boots while answering his question, "There was an after party that I just had to go to. You wouldn't believe what the Seelies can do with a little magic." Izzy shook out her hair, sprinkling the front entrance with a bit too much glitter, and started heading towards her bedroom.

"Yes, Izzy, I think I would seeing as though I'm usually the one dealing with them." Alec glared at her. "And where the hell is Jace?" Alec yelled this time. He understood the responsibilities as the elder brother, but he shouldn't have to babysit two underage teenagers who seem to want to escape more than him. And of course, they always got away with it. Max wasn't as much trouble as Jace and Izzy, and Alec was wishing he could get a night off babysitting duty.

"He left before me. Seemed really off. Must have met his soulmate and gone to find them." Izzy made her way down to her bedroom with a smile.

Alec had realised that Jace would have met his soulmate already. It would explain why he was gone; maybe they'd spent the night doing anything but talking. Even if Jace was meant to spend his entire life with her it wouldn't surprise Alec if he wasn't back for a few days. Now that he thought about it his parabatai rune was thrumming with excitement and anxiety. He'd been so pissed and concerned he hadn't even noticed until now. His gut twisted, everything would be different now. He rubbed his hand over his heart and shook his head.

Izzy would find hers soon, Alec thought glumly. And then he would find his. Not surprising that Alec wanted to hold onto normality for a little bit longer. He figured he might as well enjoy the last day of his life without yet another person being added. He went to the kitchen, Izzy would be hungry when she finished her shower, and there was no way in hell that Alec would let her try to cook again, after having to explain to Hodge what happened to the three strainers that the Institute used to have. She'd have spent the night dancing, but not eating anything in the Seelie Realm, and would only be twenty minutes getting showered and changed before she was back and nagging for food.

Who needed Church when Izzy was nearby?

Izzy came into the kitchen freshly showered and rubbing a towel through her hair. Her skin-tight training gear meant she'd give Alec a couple rounds of sparring before having to deal with patrolling tonight. With any luck Jace would be back in time for a quick briefing before Hodge sends them out the door for another wild goose chase, but Alec wasn't holding his breath.

Izzy dropped the towel over one of the chairs at the family table. "C'mon, Big Bro. You should have taken some time last night to check out what life would be like without being head of the Institute," she said while raising her eyebrow. She walked over to the counter and settled into one of the stools there.

"Why should I?" Alec mumbled as he flipped an egg. "Mum will have me marry some Shadowhunter girl from a good family and then we'll run the Institute while you and Jace run around and try to kill me with your near-death stunts." He shrugged as he turned to dish out the eggs onto plates with toast and bacon. "They have my life is pretty figured out. You just use the last year of your freedom to have fun before you have to 'be responsible'." Alec said, using air quotes to paraphrase his mother's words. He placed a plate in front if Izzy and the empty chair beside her.

Izzy sighed. Alec knew that Izzy didn't want the life that Maryse had mapped out, for her for Jace or Alec. There was a life that she wanted and the life that Her children would be happy with. And Alec marrying 'some Shadowhunter girl' was never going to make Alec happy, though it could make Jace or Izzy happy. Funny how life had turned out. It was doing take a major shake-up for Alec to really be who he was, for him to be honest and chose happiness over familial duty.

Izzy looked forward to meeting Alec's soulmate more than her own, but Alec had never discussed his timer with anyone, no one but Alec knew how long he had left. She knew that Jace had met his by now, and she was mere hours away from knowing who was going to change her life. Maybe they would be what Maryse wanted, a good Shadowhunter boy from a good family who would either enrich the Lightwood name or have Izzy enrich the other family. Maybe they would share Izzy's need to be free and encourage that.

Alec watched Izzy's face change with her thoughts. "You know that it doesn't matter what Mum says, right? The Clave has given their support for soulmate matches." Alec used his fork to break the egg yolk and he watched as it spread over his toast. Even as he said it, he knew that even the Clave had their reservations and would happily remove the obstacles to their perfect world. But he couldn't stop trying to reassure his baby sister.

"Okay, this conversation is get very depressing. Cmon, let's go, I'm ready to kick your ass." Izzy pushed her plate away and jumped off her stool. When she stopped in the doorway and watched Alec finish his brakfast she spoke again, "Alec, you know that no matter what, Jace and I, we just want you to be happy."

She left the room and Alec sitting in it, wondering just when his annoying baby sister learned to read him just as well as he could read her. Moments like this proved just how much they had all grown up and become more and more supportive and secretive with their lives. For a long time Alec couldn't bring himself to admit that he envied Jace and Izzy, even Max to a degree, but right now he could. He could see them both happily settled with their soulmates, even if it meant throwing their lives with the Clave away to do it, because he knew they both had an inner strength that he didn't.

Alec wanted that kind of love, but even he knew that being soulmates didn't mean avoiding heartache. There would come a point where Alec would grit his teeth and bare it or take a leap of faith, but no one who knew him were confident enough to bet on which outcome he would choose.

Izzy prayed to the Angel that Alec's soulmate was either insanely stubborn or insanely patient, because Alec would need one or the other to choose a love that deep-down he wants, but is too afraid of the repercussions to desire.

SOOOO sorry. Long story short: Exams, sister moving country, mother unwell and Adelaide roadtrip meant that this took soooo much longer than it should have. Good news though, the next chapter should be up in a day or two, I just need to flesh it out.

I've also decided that this will be solely focused on Malec, but I will have a couple one shots after it (that will be linked) for Jace, Simon, Izzy and Clary. So stay tuned when this is over for those.


	9. Conversations With The Chairman

Magnus wondered if Chairman should or shouldn't be in attendance tonight. He always did get a little skittish around the vampires. Don't ask Magnus why, but something just never really settled with the Chairman, and Magnus knew that there would be vampires in attendance because he made sure not to invite the werewolves. Which was a shame because some of them could poor a mean cocktail. And then there was that one in Pandemonium that must have been some form of Latina to move her hips like that.

But if Magnus was being honest with himself he knew that while this was a supposed to be the Chairman's birthday celebration, it was more likely going to be a night where Magnus ended the night with a stranger in his bed. Part of Magnus wondered if that stranger would be the same one the numbers on his chest were counting down to, or if that would be a total bust and it would be just a random body so that Magnus didn't spend another night in his immortality mourning the lack of affection that comes with a significant other, and not just a bed-warmer.

The Chairman meowed from the couch as he watched Magnus shuffle furniture around the room. Part of him wonders if he should just cancel the party. "What do you think Chairman? Should I just cancel the party?" Magnus flopped onto the couch next to the irritated cat and rested his arm on the back of the couch. "Y'know, even though I think that our friends, etcetera, are lucky to have someone for eternity, I really detest the idea of all the secrecy, the waiting."

Magnus stood and walked around his loft again. He rearranged his couches and the three mini-bars he had stationed around the room. He sent a fire message to Raphael asking him bring some O- and A+, he was urgently out of both and he knew a couple vampires that were way too picky about their specific blood types. Part of him now wonders why he thought it was a good idea to host a party tonight, or that he didn't even ask for RSVPs. How would he know if he had to drown his sorrows in alcohol or celebrate, or worse commiserate, by himself or people he couldn't stand to be around.

He gave the room one more once over, decided that the Chairman can attend his birthday celebration and retired to his bedroom to make sure that when he met his "soulmate" that even if they were worse than trolls (in looks or mannerisms) that at least looked flawless.

He finished his shower and sat at his vanity. He spent a few minutes looking at his imperfections, turning his head this way and that before he prepped his face. He applied his toner, moisturiser, and the primer before heading to his walk-in closet. He needed to look fantastic, because he was not going to be left in the lurch if his soulmate either didn't show up or rejected him. Only in Magnus' mind, or with friends after a few drinks, would he admit that he was nervous, that four hundred years was a long time to wait for someone who was meant to love you, body and soul.

As a Downworlder, Magnus assumed, at one point in time, that his soulmate could be anything. While being immortal could be a very useful thing, it can create an insane amount of tension if the elder had become jaded by the time spent alone beforehand. If they were a Seelie, or a Warlock, he would have it easy-ish… But, if they were mundane or werewolf then Magnus would have to deal with the eventual heartache that would cause.

He walked around his wardrobe, deciding what to wear, wondering if he should wear the burgundy or gold vest with his black leather pants, or maybe the black vest with gold accents and his burgundy skinny jeans. Rarely does Magnus feel the need to thank his heritage for the magic he has, but right now, he very much appreciated not having to physically change his clothes. He stepped in front of the full length mirror and stared. His clothes changed, sometimes a single item and other times the whole outfit was scrapped.

Magnus finally emerged from his closet in a pair of navy blue ripped skinny jean, a black see through button up shirt with gold accents around the cuffs and the edges of the shirt that were open to show off his tanned and toned torso. After deciding on his black leather ankle boots with gold chains hanging from the heel, he sat at his vanity again to perfect his face.

With his outfit chosen, creating an alluring look for his face was child's play. Gold accents and smokey eyes were all that was different from his usual, strking, look. He twirled in the mirror after spiking his hair and adding a little gold glitter to the tips to see if there was something that could be improved. With a nod he left to check on chairman meow.

"Well, Chairman, I look fabulous. Now I just need my admirers. Well, your party guests." Magnus amended when he felt the Chairman's eyes on his back. Anyone other than Magnus would be sceptical of the Chairman's ability to fully understand, and generally ignore, Magnus' personality and need for conversation when nervous. He was the only one who had seen Magnus for extended periods of time over the past decade, as the time drew closer to Magnus' soulmate arriving.

To be honest, the Chairman wondered if maybe a soulmate would be good for him, if only so that the Magnus would leave him alone occasionally. The Chairman meowed, it was time for his dinner, and that wasn't going to be delayed simply because Magnus was planning a party.

Magnus was brought from his thoughts by the noise, the Chairman jumped from his warm spot on the couch and slowly slinked his way into the kitchen. Magnus waved his hand and the Chairman's bowl was moved from its corner next to the fridge's motor to the corner near the pantry. Meowing in distaste, the Chairman remained where his food was meant to be and stared Magnus down.

"Come now, Chairman. We can't have you in the way, we wouldn't want you hurt by a random foot or falling object." Magnus lounged back onto the couch, next to where the Chairman had marked his space. He waited for the Chairman to return for pre-party snuggles, but after ten minutes he gave up. Turning to face the kitchen he watched as the Chairman circled where his food used to be. He quickly flicks his wrist and the Chairman's bowl was deposited back where it originally was.

"Now, that is just rude and a little melodramatic, don't you think?" Magnus squeezed his eyes shit. Whether or not he could have removed the Chairman's temper-tantrum induced mess, wasn't the issue. But it did point out that Magnus was much more focussed on being idle before his party than usual because of his nerves.

Resolving to wait for the Chairman to finish his dinner and wait the next two hours before his guests would arrive, he magically changed his outfit back to his usual lounging attire and relaxed in front of his television with enough room for the Chairman to borough into his side when he returned. He conjured a sunset filled martini glass and channel surfed, losing his nerves in the latest episode of _Ru Paul's Drag Race_.

He... he... he... So, I won't be promising chapter times... I never seem to keep to them, BUT! TWO MORE CHAPTERS, before they meet! PROMISE! And then all hell will break loose! :)

Comments show me you like it!


	10. Conversations Near Mundanes

Alec was officially looking forward to his soulmate. Nothing could fuck up this day anymore. Why not have his male, probably gay, soulmate come along and show the entire Shadowhunter community, hell the Downworld one too, that Alexander Lightwood was gay. Because, honestly, between Jace and Izzy's soulmates, the Mortal Cup reappearing, a mundane with missing memories, her friend who won't shut up and the need to see a Warlock to get back said memories and how reckless everyone wants to be to 'save the world', there was plenty for the Clave to derune them for already.

Alec couldn't deal with this crap anymore. How can two soulmates cause so much havoc in less than twenty-four hours? Seriously. Yesterday, Alec didn't want to leave his bed to deal with it, today Alec contemplated going to the Warlock and instead of getting the whiny redhead's memories, he'd get the Warlock to reverse time. It's just a daydream, it's not possible, because A) you can't change your soulmate, B) time travel doesn't exist, C) the Mortal Cup would appear again at some point… Oh, forgot to mention the whole Valentine's back from the dead thing that would also still happen.

Yeah, a lot of shit has happened and Alec really doesn't want to deal with it anymore. Cause now, he's babysitting four teenagers instead of two and Hodge is jumping on the Mundane only slightly worse than Jace is and really… did she need to bring a friend with her, that had to be Izzy's soulmate. Alec was torn between wanting to look at his clock and not wanting to look, because either way, he had to leave the Institute again, and after two Mundane soulmates, he could only imagine what he'd get.

With the luck he's had over the past three days, he'll probably get a Downworlder, who's a guy, who's immortal, and… well… Alec was running out of ways that it could get worse. Maybe he'll get killed by a demon and he just won't have to deal with coming out, or having a Downworlder soulmate. Is it Alec's upbringing or his own insecurities that have that as the best-case scenario for today.

Izzy's taken the Mundane girl to get dressed for the Warlock's party and the boy is just floating around the Institute at the moment. Jace is probably also getting ready for the party and Alec is dragging his feet, hoping that, even though his timer will count down while at the party, it'll turn out to be some sort of coincidence that there's a female Shadowhunter whose clock runs out at the same time as Alec.

Even Alec would admit that he's just being self-pitying now, but eighteen years waiting for something that is meant to be amazing, and life-changing, and good, just seems to be creating all these problems that he shouldn't have to deal with. So while the others are getting changed he'll send a fire message to his mother in Idris to keep her updated with A) Jace and Izzy have found their soulmates, but they're Mundane, B) Valentine isn't dead and is looking for the Mortal Cup and has kidnapped someone named Jocelyn Fairchild, who it seems is a family friend, C) they have to go to a Warlock party because Jace's soulmate is missing memories (thanks, Warlock), and D) Alec has yet to meet his, but as a heads up 'Mum I'm gay'.

Well, that last part he left out, because, well… that can just wait a little longer. And Alec still thinks, maybe, just maybe… his soulmate might be a girl.

He wondered idly, if maybe his parents had this much trouble when their generation started getting their soulmates… and if the other's in Idris and around the world did. He signed the paper with his stele as Izzy opened the door.

"You can't go like that."

There were very few things that Alec could count on right now, and Izzy being more worried about appearances than Shadowhunters interfering with Downworlders is one of them. He shook his head and look at his attire. Black pants, black shirt that was kinda greying, black boots that he's still trying to get demon ichor off and his usual frown. Nope, he looked fine to go deal with a Warlock, and their party.

"I've laid out _clean_ clothes on your bed, I don't even want to know how long you've been wearing that shirt. I've even gotten Jace to put some effort in today." Izzy strode out of his office before he could really respond to her.

Alec left his office, mumbling about soulmates and good impressions and 'of course Jace wants to look good for the Mundane, not like you don't either'. But it was no use. He entered his room and saw what she had laid out, denim button up shirt that was for some holidays years ago, black jeans that would probably cut off the circulation to his privates and a new pair of black boots that wouldn't be useful when killing demons.

He sniffed his shirt and wrinkled his nose while lifting it over his head, yeah, even he wasn't sure just how old that shirt was. He sniffed under his arms too and figured a quick shower might be a good idea. Just because he didn't really care to make a good first impression on his soulmate doesn't mean he wants to walk around New York, or go to a Downworlder party as a Clave representative smelling like they weren't taught proper hygiene.

He didn't take his time in the shower and only scrubbed enough that he was certain that he didn't smell like a sewer before getting out a towelling off in his room, to avoid the temptation to look at his clock. He got dressed in the clothes Izzy laid out and was surprised that he didn't have to squeeze into the pants, when a note fell out.

 _In case they need to come off quickly._

He blushed at the note and mentally decided that Izzy should take the sewers next time. He fluffed his hair, grabbed his stuff and walked out of his room.

Izzy and the others waited in the entrance, Jace and the male Mundane staring at the female Mundane while Izzy flirted with the boy.

"About time, Alec. We should have left twenty minutes ago." Jace was dressed in his best clothes, and Izzy was no better. The Mundanes were dressed in nice clothes as well, but Alec spent more time rolling his eyes at Jace than actually looking at what they were wearing.

Alec shook his head and headed to the weapons room for his bow and quiver, hoping that they would be waylaid by some demon or Downworlder so that he could not do this, but that would just make the Downworlder-as-soulmate-theory more possible. He grabbed a Seraph blade and sword as well. He tucked one into his boot and the other into his scabbard on his hip.

"We're not going to war—"

"But we are going to a Downworlder party," Alec interrupted Jace. "We can't just expect to knock on the door and enjoy the party like you usually do. Remember that we're going for business not pleasure. Not that that's ever stopped the two of you."

Alec didn't look at their faces, he knew that they would both be pissed that Alec had told their soulmates that they both played the field a bit before meeting them. Though by the look of the Mundanes, they haven't really noticed anything strange about the two Shadowhunters. 'Maybe Mundanes don't get soulmate clocks.'

He opened the Institute doors and walked into the street without looking behind.

 **PAGE BREAK**

They rode the subway to Brooklyn. Jace and Izzy voted against using their glamour runes, so the five of them made an odd group compared to the other commuters who were heading home or to some fancy event. More than once, Alec glared at someone to stop them from staring, though offering a seat to an old lady meant more weird looks.

Internally he sighed, listening to the other four talk about nonsense, Valentine, the Mundane's mum, or the Warlock they were looking for was boring Alec. Hodge had given them a rundown on Magnus Bane, and Alec really didn't want to deal with a flamboyant, eccentric Warlock. He mourned his book sitting by his bed, and the list of patrol routes they still had to complete this month and tuned out their voices.

They got off the subway and walked two streets over to where the Warlock's lair would be. Izzy was giving the male Mundane some last-minute instructions for when they go to the party and Jace was listening to the girl talk about her mum and stepdad and her life. Alec tuned them out again, but stopped at the next intersections.

"What was the address again, Iz?"

"Just up on the left." She flipped her hair over her shoulder, and the boy must have smelt her perfume or something because his face went blank and then he started to smile. They walked on a little further and came to a group of demon bikes.

Jace caught Alec's gaze and raise his eyebrow. Alec shook his head and followed Izzy and the Mundanes to the front door. When they hit the stairwell Jace joined them and they trudged up the three flights to the Warlock's lair. Izzy fluffed her hair, straightened the boy's shirt, hiked up the girl's dress, gave Jace a once over, and scowled when Alec wouldn't let her mess with his hair.

Alec felt a tingle go through his chest when Izzy rang the doorbell. It spread through his body until he had pins and needles in his fingers and toes and he took a deep breath.

'Fuck,' he thought.

Whoever was on the other side of that door, maybe even the one to open the door, was going to be Alec's soulmate. He wondered if Izzy and Jace had felt like this. Either way, fate was about to royally fuck with Alec's life, and have a good laugh at his expense.

 **LINE BREAK**

So, Merry, early, Christmas. (Or holiday season). Hope everyone is Happy, Healthy and can take time to appreciate what they have an look forward to a better 2018.

I hope that the next chapter will be up before New Year's. It's planned as the last one, but I may add another - I will post it before January's end, PROMISE!

Hope you like this chapter and as always, comments and Kudos are love!


	11. Conversations With Shadowhunters

The party was in full swing by the time Magnus started to feel sick. He was surrounded by Seelies and Vampires so it wouldn't surprise him if he picked up the wrong drink, so he thought nothing of it. He wandered around the party, half anxious that people were having a good time, and half anxious of the timer on his chest.

Why did Magnus think it would be a good idea to have this many people around when he was meant to meet his soulmate. Why? Well, Magnus was just thankful that none of his actual friends were able to make it; Raphael stuck doing Camille's bidding and the others just not in the mood for one of Magnus' parties.

Magnus considered just snapping his fingers and transferring the party elsewhere, but what sort of a host did that? But every time another Downworlder propositioned him, or spilled a drink, or got sick not in the bathroom, he really felt like giving up his home to the partier's and going for coffee down the street.

The knots in his stomach only got worse as the night progressed, until he had swapped from the alcohol being served, to a concoction that he could play off as an alcoholic one. Well, fuck, what are the Vampires bitching about now? Magnus felt highly bipolar with how he swapped from wanting to be here, to wanting to run away to some remote place where there was no chance of finding a soulmate and no chance of getting his heart broken.

The only upside that Magnus was currently seeing was that he was surrounded by immortals, so his soulmate should be immortal, right?

He could hear the doorbell ring through the loft and he sighed, back to berating himself for inviting so many people, for having a party in general.

He moved through the throng of people until he'd reached the door, his attention divided between his new guests behind and the uneasy, sick feeling. He took a deep breath to keep the bile down his throat and opened the door.

To say he was surprised was an understatement. His mind went blank as he took in the four Shadowhunters and one Mundane, who obviously were not invited to his party. He must have been distracted for longer than he realised because the brunette girls started speaking.

"That would be me," he replied to her question. He was still surprised, though he was relieved to find that either he was so distracted to notice his previous ailments, or one of these Shadowhunters was his soulmate. Right not, Magnus hoped for the former. "Children of the Nephilim," he continued, going back to host persona, "well, well. I don't recall inviting you." Because the last thing Magnus would have wanted was to have mortals around when he was due to meet his soulmate.

The brunette pulled an invitation out and waved it in his face, "I have an invitation, these are my friends," she said. As if the group of four behind her were anything other than what she said.

Magnus took the invitation and check that it was valid before grudgingly opening the door wider for the group to enter his loft. "I must have been drunk. Come in. And try not to murder any of my guests." He stepped to the side and took stock of the would-be party crashers.

The brunette woman, the blonde man, the redhead woman, the mundane… and the gorgeous brunette man in the back, who wouldn't meet his eyes.

They exchange more words that Magnus wouldn't remember by the time the night was over, mostly because he was taking in every detail of the brunette, thinking that even if his soulmate doesn't show at least there was some amazing eye candy on display. He ignored them quite well until a vampire came over to complain about how his bike was destroyed by holy water. After that rather simple disagreement the brunette finally spoke.

"We put the holy water in his gas tank, you know." And what a voice it was. If Magnus could he fall a little more in lust before the blonde decided he wasn't happy that his friend has outed them.

"I assumed that," Magnus said. His eyes couldn't leave the blue eyes that now stared back at him. He felt a flip in his chest that, if he were mortal, would have worried him. He rubbed his chest for a moment and then his eyes widened in realisation. This was his soulmate; his mortal, male, Shadowhunter soulmate. He cursed anyone who he'd ever pissed off for this turn of events and proceeded to act as naturally as he could.

The rest of the night seemed to proceed quickly. Clary, the redhead, wanted her memories that he took. The blond male was an ass, the brunette man's name was Alec and beautiful; Magnus thought that Alec as a soulmate wouldn't be so bad, if he could get past everything standing in their way, starting with his closeted personality. The brunette woman let the Mundane get turned into a rat. And then they left.

Magnus told everyone to leave; he was tired and wanted to be left alone to contemplate just how complicated his life had just become. _Oh, well. At least he's cute_ , was Magnus' last thought as he drifted to sleep.

 ***Some time later***

Magnus woke to incessant buzzing from his door. He groaned and rolled over, pulling the pillow with him. But the noise wouldn't stop. The noise wouldn't stop. He contemplated ignoring them or just answering it when he realised they weren't going to be ignored.

He blamed his mood on an array of things, that started and ended with the amount of alcohol he had to consume to pass out so he didn't dream of blue eyes, black hair, and a firm ass that made Magnus salivated at the thought of sinking his teeth into the fleshly globes.

"WHO DARES DISTURB THE HIGH WARLOCK OF BROOKLYN?" he yelled into the speaker box, hoping to get a little revenge for the early call.

"It's Jace, the Shadowhunter from the party."

Magnus smiled thinking about the blue eyes, before realising where this was going, yet he still asked if he was the one from his dream. After dealing with a missing rat and discussing Shadowhunter history with his blue-eyed dream star and sending them on his way, he resolved to ignore Shadowhunters for the next century. If the brunette couldn't even look at him and wanted to remain ignorant of Shadowhunter atrocities than Magnus wanted nothing to do with him.

He sank back into his bed, wondering if maybe the universe had made a mistake, or maybe he had and his soulmate was someone else. But the only person to catch his eye was Alec. Magnus felt his heart jump at the thought of Alec and that scared him, he'd closed himself off from the world because he didn't want to get hurt. He knew, without a doubt, that Alec would break his heart; if not by his actions than by the fact that he was mortal. He would die, while Magnus lived.

 ***The next day***

A fire message appeared on the table next to the old tomb Magnus was looking through, hoping to find something to erase the timer on his chest, one that now started counting up. His friends had never mentioned their clocks after they met their soulmates and he wanted to understand why it was still counting.

He saw it was from the Shadowhunters and almost ignored it until he noticed what its contents were. He threw on his jacket and opened a portal before the note had truly registered in his mind. One of the Shadowhunters had been injured and Magnus was afraid for Alec. He landed in front of the Institute and opened the doors. He swept through the hallways to the infirmary where he saw his soulmate writhing on the bed, a wound on his chest.

He pushed the brunette aside to get to her brother, and told her to leave, not letting her say much more than what demon had attacked him. His gaze ran over Alec's body, hopefully another occasion would let him spend more time digesting the dips and markings on his body, but now he just needed to focus on the wound and getting the poison out.

The sun dipped past the window, and then re-emerged hours later, but Magnus was so focussed on healing Alec that it past without fanfare from those in the infirmary. When Alec was out of danger, Magnus just sat beside him, holding his hand. Alec muttered and mumbled throughout the night, nonsense passing through delirious unconsciousness.

Magnus spent his time tracing Alec's face and body with his eyes, checking for secondary injuries and then just letting his mind wander. He fell asleep at some point, clutching Alec's hand like a lifeline, until just after sunrise when he was awoken by murmurs outside the infirmary door. With one last examination of his patient, he left.

He past the blonde and the brunette and explained Alec's condition, before leaving the Institute and walking home. He was tired, yes, exhausted. But the walk was more to clear his head from feelings that were growing to quickly for Magnus' liking, and fears that he knew would come due to the nature of the world they live in and the roles they play.

Opening the door to his loft, he picked the Chairman who purred. He crawled up on the couch and snuggled the Chairman until he fell asleep.

*Author's Note*

I am so bloody sorry that this has taken so long, life drama has kept me away from writing and I've realised that I need one more chapter after this one - it is half written and will follow the storyline of Kissed, so if you haven't read that I recommend you do (not because it matters to the story, but because it's really cute).

All things willing, the internet will get better and the next chapter will be up in the next two weeks. *cross fingers*


	12. Conversations With Soulmates

Alec stared at the name on the door: BANE. The last time he had been here he hadn't taken notice of anything but the dread in his stomach, not he had a change to take in his surroundings and for the tenth time since he left the Institute he felt like an idiot. Though really it seemed like a common trend with the Shadowhunters of New York right now; and all of it stemming from one girl and three soulmates. But every time he thought to turn around his curiosity go the better of him. He wanted to get to know Magnus.

Magnus was beautiful, he couldn't deny that, but it was the look in his eyes that Alec kept thinking of, that kept Alec walking to his loft in the middle of the night when, really, he should be helping the others deal with the fall out that was Valentine's return, Hodge's betrayal, and Jace and Clary finding out that they were siblings, when they thought they were soulmates. Magnus looked at him in a way no one ever had before, and Alec wanted to know what that really felt like.

Alec decided that he would be selfish for a change, if this soulmate had screwed his life up so bad then the least he could do is give him some answers that Alec needed, and maybe a part of him just wanted to thank him for saving his life. The others didn't need to know that Alec lied about going to ask about payment. Though it was something they should discuss.

Alec raised his hand again to ring the buzzer, but stopped himself. Would Magnus even want to see him, if he did then he would have said something during the times where he was conscious, or left a note during the time he wasn't. For once, his parents, the Clave, Jace and everything else that had plagued his minds prior to meeting Magnus wasn't running through his head. Instead he wondered who in the universe thought the Magnus and Alec would make a good match.

From what Alec could tell they were complete opposites. Magnus was loud, outgoing, confidant, beautiful; Alec couldn't imagine that he, plain, dull, shy and more than a little introverted, could possibly make Magnus happy. This time he wasn't worried about what others thought of his soulmate, he wondered what his soulmate thought of him.

 **BANE**

Even the name was confidant, but Alec forced himself to press the buzzer and wait.

"WHO DARES DISTURB THE HIGH WARLOCK OF BROOKLYN?"

"Uh, it's me. I mean, Alec Lightwood." He swore to himself, he sounded nervous and that was just a great start. He seriously thought Magnus would ignore him but there was a ping and the door opened for him.

He made his way up the stairs and found himself looking at Magnus standing in his doorway. His breath caught in his throat at how relaxed he looked. Magnus had been stunning when Alec had met him at the party, but now, with little make-up, jeans and a t-shirt, he looked simply beautiful. Alec blushed under Magnus' gaze and cleared his throat.

Alec closed the distance between them and smiled.

"Alexander Lightwood," Magnus greeted with a genuine smile. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Alec wasn't sure, but he thought maybe Magnus was interested in getting to know each other. "Do you have company?" he finally asked.

"Why do you want to know?" Magnus asked, he crossed his arms and Alec worried that he would close himself off and that he would have no chance.

He rubbed the back of his neck and looked up at Magnus through his eye lashes, a nervous tick Izzy said. "I was hoping I could come in and talk to you." He must have said something right because Magnus racked his eyes over his eyes and nodded, opening the door slightly and disappearing into the loft.

Alec took in the loft, now that it was devoid of a hundred drunk partiers and found Magnus on the couch, with a cat perched next to him. The cat jumped down and wandered into another room, leaving the two men alone. Alec shifted where he stood and Magnus just watched.

"Would you like some tea?" he finally asked, breaking the silence that was starting to become uncomfortable.

Alec was aware of social norms and nodded, not expecting a takeaway cup to appear in his hand. "By the Angel." He managed to right the cup before spilling the obviously hot liquid on his hand, or anywhere else. He couldn't believe how stupid he was acting, even if Izzy or Jace had said that Magnus seemed to take an interest in him, surely being alone with Alec for less than five minutes would change his mind.

Magnus laughed, and threw his head back. "I love that expression," he said, a smile gracing his face. "It's so quaint."

Alec liked the sound of Magnus laughing and hoped he would have more opportunities to hear it, though preferably without inflicting some damage to himself, or feeling like he was being made fun of. He looked at the cup and asked if Magnus had stolen the tea. Magnus waved his hand and asked why Alec was there.

Alec took a mouthful of tea to give himself the chance to think of what to say, could he really just blurt out 'hi, I'm your soulmate'. "I wanted to thank you," he settled on, because he did, "for saving my life," he clarified, as if Magnus had done something Alec wasn't aware of that he may need thanking for. Alec internally smiled, there, he hadn't quite embarrassed himself and he'd done one thing he had wanted to do.

Magnus leaned back further, and Alec was distracted by the strip of his stomach that was revealed when Magnus' shirt rode up slightly. Magnus stared at Alec, silently cataloguing his face and body movements for any deception before finally asking, "You wanted to thank me?" Magnus could count on one hand the number of times a Shadowhunter had thanked him, maybe two if he classified Tessa as a Shadowhunter.

Not only was a Shadowhunter thanking him, for something he would be getting paid for, but a Lightwood was thanking him. How very confusing his soulmate was becoming. Definitely not what Magnus expected after meeting him, and surely not what Magnus had imagined all these years. He came back to the conversation when Alec started speaking.

"You saved my life," he said, as if that was enough of a reason for a Shadowhunter to thank a Downworlder. "But I was delirious, and I don't think I really thanked you." He took another sip of tea, to help him try and stop himself from rambling and having Magnus kick him out. "I know you didn't have to do it. So thank you."

He must have said something wrong because Magnus kept staring at him with confusion and apprehension. Alec wondered if he could simply call it quits there, the universe had made a mistake or he had, because there was no way that the man in front of him could be his perfect match. They could barely have a conversation without angry words or awkward silences.

"You're… welcome," he finally said.

When he didn't continue Alec figured he was just too polite to kick him out. He put his tea on the coffee table and stood, smoothing his pants along his thighs as he did. "I should go," he said. He assumed Magnus would stand and show him to the door, but instead he motioned for him to sit back down, and closer. He placed his hand on his cheek and just watched Alec's reaction.

Alec's heart was beating faster in his chest. This was the first time Magnus had touched him while conscious and he was enjoying the sensations that it created. Before he had time to sink into the caress Magnus had removed his hand and frowned. He worried he'd done something wrong and asked, "What is it?"

"You're just…" Magnus trailed off as he picked up the cat from before and held him close to his chest. The cat joined Magnus in his study of Alec, and he wasn't sure whose gaze he should be more suspicious of. "… not what I suspected," Magus finished his thought, gently stroking the fur of the cat.

Alec and Magnus went back and forth discussing Alec's family before he finally did something truly embarrassing. "She said you liked me," he said, and ducked his head to hide the blush he knew was staining his face. He berated himself that he had let something slip, but when Magnus had mentioned Izzy it was the first thing to pop into his head.

"What?" Magnus asked obviously confused by the non sequitur. He waited for Alec to elaborate on his statement, growing more and more confused by the direction the conversation was going. He wondered if Alec had ever been in a romantic relationship with the childish responses Magnus was receiving. When Alec mentioned Jace, and how he was overlooked in his favour, Magnus spoke again, "He's trouble."

"But you are totally without guile." Magnus continued to look at him, wondering how long it had been since he'd met a kind Lightwood. "You've always been a plotting sort of family." He swept his gaze over Alec's face again. "But there isn't a lie in your face. I get the feeling everything you say is straightforward." Magnus hoped he was right, if Alec truly were his soulmate then at least that was one thing Magnus shouldn't have to worry about.

"Do you want to go out with me?" Alec asked. He leaned forward, creeping more in Magnus' space where each of them could smell the cologne and natural essence.

Magnus commented on his question and watched Alec blush and bite his teeth. Magnus had been with so many people, filling his years with flings and varying levels of love that watching Alec's reactions, having this conversation with him, just showed how young he was. Magnus knew they were finally heading in the direction this conversation should have been going from the start, but he wasn't sure if he really was so afraid of it now.

"Why do you want to go out with me?" he finally asked. If anyone else had asked him out he wouldn't think twice about his answer, but Magnus was curious to know if it was because of the clocks on their chests, or if, maybe, there was something else that pulled them together.

"Not that I'm not highly desirable," he said, making light of the situation when Alec hadn't responded, "but the way you asked, it seemed as if you were having some sort of fit –"

"– I just do," Alec interrupted. Alec knew he should be honest, but he still wasn't sure how Magnus would react. Neither of them had even hinted that _maybe_ they were soulmates. Alec took a deep breath and shifted to reach his tea before taking a gulp of the cooling drink. He contemplated telling the truth, that he thinks their soulmates and he's curious or just lying. 'Be brave,' his mother always said.

"I just do," he repeated. "But I want… My timer ended when I met you," he finally said, looking at his cup.

Magnus held his breath for a minute, wondering how Alec could be the one to finally acknowledge the elephant in the room. Alec started to fidget, playing with the rim of his cup. "Does anyone know you're gay?" Magnus asked.

Alec stood. He paced the floor a little before turning back to Magnus. "Clary… And Izzy. But they just figured it out, I never said…" Alec trailed off, averting his gaze to the floor as Chairman Meow started to circle him. Alec reached down to scratch behind his ears and lifted his gaze when Magnus chuckled.

"He likes you," Magnus said with a fond smile. He sat forward and watched them interact for a minute.

"Is that a good thing?" Alec asked. He continued to pay attention to the chairman while Magnus stood.

"I never date anyone Chairman doesn't like," he found himself saying. Magnus may have never wanted his soulmate, and he wasn't sure if there was another reason why Alexander Lightwood had captured his attention so quickly, but he was curious where it could go.

"Do you like me, Alec? Just because our clocks ended, doesn't mean we have to do anything. Some soulmates are purely platonic." Magnus knew this was true, but he did hope that Alec at least liked him.

Alec stooped playing with the chairman to look at Magnus. While it could take years to truly know what was going through his mind, he did see that Magnus meant what he had said. "I've never had a date, never kissed anyone. I wasn't waiting for my soulmate," he took a breath and decided to pull what little bravery he had left to finish this conversation, however it may end.

"I didn't… I knew a long time ago that what I wanted was frowned upon by the Clave. So I never bothered trying to be with anyone, not even the people my parents introduced me to –"

"I'm not unsympathetic, Alec. But do you _like_ me?" Magnus interrupted. He wanted to know if Alec wanted a relationship, romantic or platonic, with him.

Alec thought about the question, he went over everything he knew about Magnus and himself. He remembered how he felt when they met, when Magnus held his hand while he was delirious, how happy he was to see Magnus standing in the doorway. "Yes, I like you," he said.

Magnus let out the breath he's been holding and smiled. "So, let's say Friday night?"

Alec's head shot up. "Really? You want to go out with me?"

Magnus laughed. "While, like you, I've never been fond of my timer, something about you has me intrigued. Come on, I'll walk you out." They reached the doorway and Magnus stopped Alec will a hand on his arm.

"What is it?" Alec asked. Not that he was complaining being around for a few more moments.

"Never kissed anyone?" Magnus asked. "No one at all?"

Alec shook his head and prayed to the Angel that Magnus wouldn't change his mind because Alec had no dating experience at all.

"Come here." Magnus place his other hand on Alec other elbow and pulled him closer, until their chests were almost touching. They took a moment to study each other before Magnus closed the distance and kissed Alec. Alec stood still, surprised at Magnus' actions, but soon melted into the kiss and gasped when Magnus ran his tongue along the seam of Alec's lips. Magnus used it to press his tongue into his mouth and swipe it long Alec's teeth and the roof of his mouth. Alec groaned and placed his hands on Magnus' arm and chest to steady himself from the feelings of the kiss.

Magnus moved his hands to Alec's waist and used his belt loops to pull him closer still. The kiss became more heated and neither wanted to pull away when the need to breath became necessary. Alec and Magnus traded quick pecks before releasing each other.

"Now you've been kissed," Magnus said, not surprised at the breathless way the words came out. "See you Friday?"

Alec smiled and turned to exit the loft. He looked back, watching Magnus, before using Magnus' shirt to bring their lips back together. This kiss had less finesse, but no less passion as their tongues, teeth and lips moved and scraped. He stepped back through the door and said, "Friday." He back away, down the stairs and out the door to the building.

Magnus smiled to himself, but frowned when he noticed the wrinkles on his shirt. "Lightwood, they always have to have the last word," he muttered to himself. He drifted back to the living room, planning to watch a couple episodes of _Ru Paul's Drag Race_ before bed. But he couldn't get Alexander Lightwood out of his head.

Chairman Meow curled into his lap again, happy to indulge in his owners distracted pettings while he purred. Magnus sat through two episodes before realising that he hadn't stopped thinking about Alec, and how he kissed, and how shy he was, and just how not-Shadowhunter-like he was at all. He resolved to call Cat in the morning before slipping the chairman off his lap and heading to his bedroom.

He fell asleep that night with a smile gracing his lips. His dreams filled with blue eyes and black hair and soft lips that smiled so temptingly.

 ***Across Town***

Alec slipped back into the Institute and into his room, surprised that no one had caught him and interrogated him for being gone so long. He took a quick shower and dressed in pyjama bottoms before putting his phone on charge and getting into bed. He thought over the last week and wondered how so much could have changed for his mood to be this positive.

He realised that it was all down to his soulmate, to Magnus. He knew that maybe they wouldn't work out; he had the Clave, his parents, his Parabatai, and no experience for a relationship to work. But he also knew that he'd never met someone like Magnus before. Someone who could get his heart to beat faster, just by smiling at him.

He thought about Jace for a brief second, and only because he could feel the sadness that radiated from him since Valentine had revealed that Clary was his sister. He resolved to talk to him in the morning, since he knew a lot about undesirable feelings.

His thoughts drifted back to Magnus' kiss before he closed his eyes and replayed it to fall asleep to. Dreams of creamy skin, warm bodies and gentle laughing smiles filled his sleep. It was the best sleep Alec had ever had.

 ***Author's Note***

So this is the end. And wow... I've loved writing this and I'm glad you've liked reading it. I plan on writing companions to them; first date, meeting the parents, and off-shoots for side pairings, so stay tuned for those.

Thank you to those who've stuck with it to the end and welcome to all those who read it once it's finished!

As always kudos and comments equal love!


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